Episodes

  • 9: Coming Soon (2nd Season Preview)

    9: Coming Soon (2nd Season Preview)
    Oct 1 2020
    A preview of our first episode of the sophomore season, which will be dropping soon!
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    2 mins
  • 22: TFE 2025

    22: TFE 2025
    Jul 22 2025
    TFE Live Show/Memories, Shoutouts, and Ask Us Anything Don't call it a comeback. The Duncepod gets resurrected for a live show at The Franciscan Experience 2025. Some of the Dunces have vocation updates. Participants share illuminating memories from an incredible week with FranU's theology institute, give shout outs, and ask tough questions. Siblings show a lot of love. Jesus calls us to be poor and serve the poor. Claire was a pelagian (sort of). You were predestined to read this. You can learn more about TFE at https://franu.edu/the-franciscan-experience-summer-institute.
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    53 mins
  • 21: TFE 2024

    21: TFE 2024
    Jul 10 2024
    TFE 2024 Live Show/Ask Us Anything/Air Horns Everywhere The Dunces are back live at The Franciscan Experience 2024. Dr. David Moser joins the show with old-timers Dr. Pedraza, Rachael, and Josh. New majors, Ignazio and Chandler, get in the mix, and Chris the Philosopher makes a long overdue appearance. Stellar high school students share some of their favorite memories from the week and how they found Christ in the Eucharist, theological study, the poor, and each other. They also ask some tough questions about God's love and our sinfulness, Creation, the ending of the Glory B, the "unforgivable sin," and Dr. P's guitar playing "skills." Oh, and Josh has big news, and it's the Year of Chris. TFE is a one-of-a-kind high school theology institute that introduces students to the riches of the Catholic faith through communal life, mass and liturgy of the hours, academic theology, service to the poor, and daily prayer. See https://franu.edu/the-franciscan-experience-summer-institute. Shout out to Kevin McLeod for his "Elevator Music."
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • 20B: Called by Name: The Vocation Story of Fr. Andrew Merrick

    20B: Called by Name: The Vocation Story of Fr. Andrew Merrick
    Jan 31 2024
    B-Side: Called by Name Fr. Andrew tells the captivating, sometimes funny, sometimes gut-wrenching story of Jesus calling him to the priesthood. B-Side episodes bring you a story that gives flesh to a topic talked about in a previous episode. See Episode 12, "Going on Vocation." Music Credits: "Reawakening", "Comfortable Mystery 2", "Still Pickin", "Country Ballad 2" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Other songs licensed by Jamendo.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • 19: Dr. Joe Vukov and A.I. vs. Meat Computing Machines

    19: Dr. Joe Vukov and A.I. vs. Meat Computing Machines
    Oct 31 2023
    Dr. Vukov/Feast of St. Francis/A.I. and Humanizing Technology or Technologizing Humans/A.I. vs. Meat Computers Dr. Joe Vukov (https://www.josephvukov.com/) from Loyola Chicago visits the Dunces' Corner to talk all things Artificial Intelligence and Technology. Josh and Ben join the show. Dr. Vukov shares his conversion from Protestant to atheist to Catholic and the harrowing story of how he became a philosopher. The Dunces talk about whether A.I. is actually intelligent and if the human brain is a mere meat computing machine. Finally, Dr. Pedraza and Dr. Vukov put Rachael, Sr. Ref, Josh, and Ben to the test against catholic.chat. Does A.I end up terminating humanity in this catechizing competition? You'll have to find out. Props to the people at www.catholic.chat This desctiption was not made with A.I. but might have been better if it were. Come with me if you want to live. Special Guest: Dr. Joe Vukov.
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • 18: TFE 2023

    18: TFE 2023
    Aug 17 2023
    TFE 2023 Live Show/Ask Us Anything/Buc-ee's The Dunces record a live show at The Franciscan Experience 2023. Rock Star high-schoolers ask about the Immaculate Conception, why the authorities at the time of Jesus decided to kill him, God and gender, the problem of evil, the ethnicity of Jesus in artwork, and why angels aren't depicted in art as they are in the Bible. Hunter and his hair return from grad school. Julia the theo minor becomes a high school proxy. The original Dunce, Bl. Scotus, proves his worth. Surprise, surprise, Dr. Whidden and Hunter bring up St. Anselm. Bucc-ee's doesn't sponsor this episode but they should. Still, snaps all around. TFE is a one-of-a-kind high school theology institute that introduces students to the riches of the Catholic faith through communal life, mass and liturgy of the hours, academic theology, service to the poor, and daily prayer. See https://franu.edu/the-franciscan-experience-summer-institute. Shout out to Noah Slate and his random unofficial Bucc-ee's anthem (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsEhRg9nk4w). Shout out to Hunter's hair.
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    58 mins
  • 17: The Eras (Cosmic History) Tour

    17: The Eras (Cosmic History) Tour
    Jul 21 2023
    Eras of Church History/Tay-Tay vs. Mayer/Mouth Sounds You think Tay Tay's tour is big? Just you wait. Through the powers of the Dunce DeLorean, Catherine takes us to her cave in the desert and drops some St. Anthony on us; Rachael steals some pears with St. Augustine; Dr. Whidden gives you a double dose of monasticism and the One which nothing greater can be conceived; Matt almost dies then riffs on St. Francis and Sister Death; Cameron asks about the good and the difficult with the Angelic and Common Doctor; Dr. Pedraza takes us down the river of doctrinal development with Cardinal Newman; and Jadyn learns patience from Bishop Sheen. Episode includes theology as Taylor songs and a lot of mouth noises.
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • 16: Vulnerable before the Vulnerable God, w/ the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

    16: Vulnerable before the Vulnerable God, w/ the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
    Apr 14 2023
    Becoming Men and Women of Communion/Vulnerability and True Community/Either-Or Game The end of Lent was Lenty. Dr. Pedraza went to a symposium on formation. Rachael talks about her NET community in Ireland. Sr. Ref gets real about the Lord doing work. Matt dropkicks instagram and fake friends. Then the CFRs bring the holy fire about community life and how to break free from shame and isolation. Br. Mariano is "sorry" that the Dominicans only have 2 doctors of the Church while the Franciscans have 3. Fr. Mark Mary gives us a lesson in the physics of communion and the anthropology of fatherhood and motherhood. And he gets some nachos. Shout out to Postulants Mike and Ross! "Happy Happy Game Show" and "Sneaky Snitch" songs courtesy of Kevin MacLeod, from https://filmmusic.io/. Special Guest: The CFRs.
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    1 hr and 10 mins